MEMBERS OF THE GROUP (Active in 2018)
Predoctoral Researchers Adrián Villastrigo, Pau Balart, Xiaozhu Luo (Visitor)
Laboratory Technician Anabela Cardoso
Postgraduate Student Alessandro Nardi (Visitor)
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018
During 2018 we continued our research in the two main lines of the lab, (1) the evolution of habitat transitions in aquatic Coleoptera, with studies on the multiple origins of tolerance to salinity within a phylogenetic framework; and (2) evolutionary convergence in cave beetles. In this line we studied from convergent biogeographic patterns in Western Mediterranean lineages of subterranean beetles to the evolution of the central nervous system in blind species, the latter in collaboration with the University of Jena (Germany).
2018 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Faille, A., Casale, A., Hernando, C., Mouloud, S.A. & Ribera, I. (2018) Tectonic vicariance versus Messinian dispersal in western Mediterranean ground beetles. Zoologica Scripta, 47: 565-581.
Luo, X.-Z., Wipfler, B., Ribera, I., Liang, H.B., Tian, M.Y., Ge, S.Q. & Beutel, R.G. (2018) The thoracic morphology of cave-dwelling and free-living ground beetles from China (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae). Arthropod Structure and Development, 42: 662-674
Villastrigo, A., Fery, H., Manuel, M., Millán, A. & Ribera, I. (2018) Evolution of salinity tolerance in the diving beetle tribe Hygrotini (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae). Zoologica Scripta, 47: 63-71.
2018 FUNDED PROJECTS
Title: Convergent evolution in subterranean Coleoptera.
Financed by: MINECO
Total Funding: 151.000€
PI: Ignacio Ribera
Title: Grup de recerca consolidate en Biodiversitat Animal y Evolució.
Financed by: Generalitat de Catalunya
Total Funding: 37.650,80€
PI: Ignacio Ribera
FIGURE CAPTION
Evolution of the central nervous system in subterranean beetles, as reconstructed with CT microscans. The reduction and final loss of eyes and optical lobes are clearly visible.